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AEGIS Europe co-chairing Business20 Task Force meeting at OECD

Paris, 28 May 2018 - Business20 (B20) is the private sector´s voice of the G20 community. 2018 B20 Argentina has proposed eight task forces; each will draft thematic papers with policy proposals for submission to the G20.

Inès Van Lierde, Chair of AEGIS Europe, has been asked by the B20 Chair Daniel Funes de Rioja to become Co-Chair of the B20 Trade & Investment task force.

The last meeting of the Trade & Investment task force took place on 28 May at OECD in Paris.

In the picture, you can see Inès Van Lierde with Paolo Rocca (right), CEO of the Techint Group and Chair of the B20 Trade & Investment task force, and Fernando Landa (left), B20 Policy Sherpa.

PRESS RELEASE: AEGIS Europe welcomes commitment to make new EU trade defence regime effective – the proof is in the pudding

Brussels, 4 October 2017 – AEGIS Europe, an alliance of 30 industries, has welcomed an agreement between the European Parliament, Commission and Council on a new EU trade defence regime, during a final Trilogue, held in Strasbourg.

“We are happy with the commitment of the three EU institutions to ensure that the new EU trade defence regime, which they have agreed upon yesterday, will be used effectively to combat the ever-growing dumping of products onto the EU market,” said Ines Van Lierde, Chair of AEGIS Europe.

“The facts are clear, Europe has been a target for dumped products, which have resulted from massive and out of control subsidies, and overcapacities that in some industries, are as high as twice global demand,” Van Lierde pointed out.

The Chair of AEGIS Europe noted the agreement on the new rules saying, “The direct impact of this new Regulation will resonate for decades to come, and will have a powerful impact on European jobs and growth. From a practical stand-point, how these rules will be effectively applied and enforced, will be of critical importance to the EU manufacturing industries’ future.”

Ms Van Lierde expressed industry’s willingness to work closely with the EU institutions: “We are prepared to collaborate with the European Commission so that the new regime works efficiently and properly to address ever-growing dumping, which is directly injuring many EU manufacturing sectors and millions of EU workers”.

“The EU needs to have strong and legitimate trade defence in place,” said Ms Van Lierde. “Legally robust anti-dumping measures are essential if we are to counter unfair competition and continue investing in sustainable manufacturing and employment in Europe," she concluded.

5-6 September 2017 - Several representatives of Euroalliages members have joined an AEGIS Europe delegation who has meet with European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, Vice-President Katainen, and key MEPs, to discuss the ongoing negotiations on the new anti-dumping methodology. AEGIS Europe has applauded the stance taken by the Parliament on ensuring that Europe has sufficiently strong, and legally robust, trade defences in place to counter dumping into the EU.

Brussels, 20 June 2017 – MEPs in the European Parliament will today vote on a committee report regarding the Commission's proposal for a new ‘non-standard’ methodology to be used in anti-dumping proceedings against non-market economies. AEGIS Europe urges MEPs to recognise the need for clear definitions, formalised due process, and an unambiguously effective non-standard anti-dumping methodology.

Brussels, 9 November 2016 - Following today’s publication of the European Commission’s changes to the EU anti-dumping legislation - designed to render China’s demand for Market Economy Status ‘irrelevant’ - Europe’s manufacturing industries have reacted with a firm warning that the proposal is neither robust nor future-proof.

AEGIS Europe, an alliance of 30 European manufacturing industries, warned that the European Commission proposal has fallen far short of expectations, creating instead legal uncertainty and threatening jobs and investments in EU manufacturing.

“Instead of improving efficiency and ensuring effectiveness of EU anti-dumping measures, the Commission’s new proposal makes European industries even more vulnerable,” pointed out Milan Nitzschke, spokesman for AEGIS Europe.

The Commission's proposal for a new ‘non-standard methodology’ shifts away from the well-established calculation method presentlyused by the EU. This framework, which continues to be used by the US and other major WTO members, creates a clear distinction between Non-Market Economies and Market Economies.

The Commission has also chosen to shift the burden of proof in Anti-Dumping cases involving WTO member Non-Market Economies to the EU, creating a greater workload and additional insecurity for European companies.

“China considers itself to be an economy in transition. Obviously, it should be up to China to prove the progress it has made towards establishing Market Economy commercial conditions, rather than European complainants or the EU institutions," pointed out Mr Nitzschke.

It is crucial that the EU’s new methodology takes into account the remaining provisions in China's WTO Accession Protocol, including the clear legal distinctions deriving from the EU’s Market Economy criteria, with the burden of proof firmly on Chinese producers.

“Any new non-standard methodology must be linked to the long-established five Market Economy criteria of the EU otherwise it will be susceptible to challenge,“ emphasised Mr Nitzschke. “Without the five criteria, the Commission's assertion that it acts to defend European jobs against Chinese dumping becomes meaningless,” he added.

AEGIS Europe called for intervention from the European Parliament and Member States. “It is essential that policy-makers commit themselves to improving the Commission’s proposal so that it strengthens the legal basis for Anti-Dumping measures. The European Parliament has already signalled its support for ensuring that China is prevented from dumping in the EU. If insufficient action is taken we risk losing millions of jobs and billions of euros in manufacturing investment," concluded Mr Nitzschke

PRESS RELEASE: EU Industry, Trade Associations, and EU Institutions representatives co-signed a letter on MES China, which has been sent today to EU Commissioners (AEGIS Europe)

Brussels, 27 October 2016 - AEGIS Europe, Committee of Regions, IndustriAll, European Trade Union, the European Trade Union Confederation, the Workers' Group and Employers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee, and 33 Members of the European Parliament today sent a letter calling on the European Commission to effectively defend EU producers against unfairly dumped Chinese exports.

The letter called on the Commission to include the following elements in its forthcoming legislative proposal on Trade Defence modernisation:

A clear link between the trigger of the new 'non-standard' anti-dumping methodology and the EU's five market economy criteria: the use of Chinese prices and costs as a basis for calculating dumping should depend on China's and Chinese producers' complete fulfilment of the EU's five criteria as established by EU law and practiceNon-reversal of the burden of proof: it should remain up to China and Chinese exporters to prove that they operate under normal market economy conditionsNon-discrimination between economic sectors: the new methodology should be actionable equally by all industrial sectors and EU producers affected by injurious dumping.

Brussels, 11 July 2016 – Ahead of the EU China Summit in Beijing on 12-13 July, AEGIS Europe, an alliance of more than 30 European manufacturing associations, calls on European Commission President Juncker and President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, to take a clear position against Chinese dumping, overcapacity and illegal subsidies.

"China is not a market economy and therefore cannot be granted Market Economy Status (MES) by the EU. It is of critical importance for all European industries that anti-dumping measures are calculated properly and remain effective and possible under EU trade law," said Milan Nitzschke, spokesman for AEGIS Europe.

China's state planned economy systematically orchestrates overcapacities and then offers products below production costs in international markets to overwhelm competition.

“Silicon is a clear example of what China is able to do: massive overcapacity, persistent dumping and circumvention from China for over 25 years, despite anti-dumping measures in place and anti-circumvention proceedings,” pointed out Ines Vanlierde, Chair of AEGIS Europe and Secretary General of Euroalliages.

Here you can find a video of Euroalliages's Secretary General Inès Van Lierde talking about the impact of Chinese overcapacities on Silicon producers in the EU, and here AEGIS Europe press release.

Following the EU-China Summit in Beijing on 12 – 13 July, AEGIS Europe says that European leaders must not let down European industry and its workers by giving into China on Market Economy Status (MES). ‘Concessions’ on steel dumping are not justification for the granting of the much-coveted status.

Brussels, 12 May 2016 – With an overwhelming majority (83%), the European Parliament today passed a Resolution against dumping and the granting of MES to China. The Resolution is an important signal that the EU will not grant MES so long as China fails to meet its WTO obligations.

The European Parliament recognised that there is no legal obligation for the EU to grant MES to China automatically, and that the wording of the China’s WTO Accession Protocol leaves room for continuing to apply an alternative methodology, one not based on distorted Chinese prices and costs.

“MEPs have spoken and they do not agree to a weak compromise, which removes the effectiveness of the anti-dumping instrument. A fair partnership is only possible if China plays by the rules of free and fair international trade, and honours its WTO obligations. So long as China remains a planned economy, which builds up irrational overcapacities, and encourages its industries to dump in foreign markets, Europe cannot grant it MES status. Instead, European anti-dumping defence tools must be strengthened, in compliance with WTO rules," said AEGIS Europe spokesperson Milan Nitzschke.

EP Plenary discussing China's market economy status

Brussels, 11 May 2016 – Yesterday, during the European Parliament Plenary Session in Strasbourg, a large majority of MEPs spoke up against the granting of Market Economy Status to China. Opening the debate, Commissioner Andriukaitis stressed that the Commission is in close contact with its G7 partners on the MES question. Afterwards, many MEPs took the floor:

Jaroslaw Walesa (EPP, PL) noted that China has a massive over-capacity in many areas and their economy depends on dumping and that MES would subject EU companies to unfair trade. Salvatore Cicu (EPP, IT) stressed the EU must protect its industry and jobs, and that the Commission should launch a legislative proposal to better defend against Chinese dumping.

Marielle De Sarnez (ALDE, FR) said there is unanimity in the Parliament that China is not market economy, and that strong action is needed.

Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens/EFA, DE) argued that hundreds of thousands of jobs are at stake and emphasised that the EU needs to have strong antidumping tools.

David Borrelli (EFDD, IT) noted that China is not a market economy and it must fulfil the market economy five criteria before it is granted MES.

Following the debate, S&D Group President Gianni Pittella said: "The S&D Group is against granting Market Economy Status to China: […] it is not yet a market economy. The widespread and persistent social, climate and industrial dumping that China undertakes would put in danger not only the future […] of the whole European manufacturing industry. Millions of jobs and a fundamental share of European GDP are at stake.

Tomorrow, the Parliament is expected to adopt a resolution on MES.

MEPs launch counter-consultation on MES China

Brussels, 16 March 2016 - On 15 March, five MEPs part of the “MES China Action Group” launched a counter-consultation on granting Market Economy Status to China.

During the press conference they held at the European Parliament, they stressed the limits of the assumptions and the methodology used by Commission, and they said EU citizens and businesses have to be able to comment freely on the issue.

Their counter-consultation is available at this link and will remain open till 15 May.

Brussels, 16 February 2016 -On 15 February, AEGIS Europe has organised a March to say no to Market Economy Status to China. More than 5,000 people, workers and industry representatives together, took part to the March. Our Secretary General Inès Vanlierde met Antonio Tajani MEP and handed him the European Industrial Manifesto for Free & Fair Trade.

AEGIS Europe promotes manufacturing investment, innovation, jobs and growth, including trade remedies in the face of illegal dumping and subsidies.

Brussels, 16 February 2016 - AEGIS Europe stood together with over 5,000 workers and industry leaders in Brussels on Monday 15 February to demonstrate against Chinese dumping and China being granted market economy status by the EU. A Manifesto for Free and Fair Trade was handed over to President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

AEGIS Europe

AEGIS Europe brings together nearly 30 European associations representing a broad variety of industries including traditional industries, consumer branches, SMEs and renewable energy sectors, accounting for more than €500 billion in annual turnover and millions of jobs across the EU. This industry alliance, made up of leaders in sustainable manufacturing and social and environmental responsibility, is committed to European manufacturing as the fundamental driver of innovation, growth and jobs in Europe.